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Zhilei Zhang wants Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk fight in China after impressive stoppage win over Joe Joyce

Zhilei Zhang recorded a sixth-round TKO victory over Joe Joyce at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday night; Zhang's co-manager Terry Lane wants Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk title shot: "Is there a heavyweight who's got a better resume in the last 12 months?"

Zhilei Zhang celebrates his win over Joe Joyce
Image: Zhilei Zhang celebrates his win over Joe Joyce on Saturday night

Zhilei Zhang hopes to secure a world heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury in China after he 'walked through' Joe Joyce on Saturday night, says his co-manager Terry Lane.

Zhang produced a commanding display against Joyce at the Copper Box Arena, inflicting the first defeat of the British heavyweight's professional career with a stunning sixth-round stoppage.

Zhang's victory served as the perfect response to his own divisive first career defeat at the hands of Filip Hrgovic in their IBF title eliminator last August, and he has his sights firmly set on another title shot.

Zhilei Zhang stopped Joe Joyce in a huge upset
Image: Zhilei Zhang stopped Joe Joyce in a huge upset win

"This is what we expected," Zhang's co-manager Terry Lane told Sky Sports. "I believe Zhilei is the best heavyweight in the world. Anybody who thinks otherwise, I don't think they are really paying attention.

"Is there a heavyweight who's got a better resume in the last 12 months? He beat Hrgovic but didn't get his hand raised. He just walked through Joe Joyce, which we knew would happen.

"He's been turned down by Anthony Joshua, [Derek] Chisora and [Dillian] Whyte. They won't touch him, so they're out of the equation.

"He would physically injure and end the career of Deontay Wilder. No-one can make a fight with him, so what does that leave? [Oleksandr] Usyk and Tyson Fury.

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LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Tyson Fury inside the ring before his WBC heavyweight championship fight with Derek Chisora, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 03, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
Image: Zhilei Zhang wants a title shot against Tyson Fury in China according to his co-manager

"I know the whole sanctioning body scramble is a mess right now. No one knows how to decipher, no one knows what's going to happen, but those are two fights that are the toughest fights, but they are the ones we want and they are the biggest fights.

"We want to talk with George [Warren] and make that happen. Our future plans are to be future world champion. Technically, he has a piece of the world title [WBO interim belt] which is historic in China.

"We had an amazing response, millions and millions of views in China last night with our partnership with Tik Tok. It really beat all of our expectations, in terms of the response. People waking up at 5am to pay a dollar to watch him fight.

"I see the guy in the gym sparring and he beats the brakes off big heavyweights all the time. I know what we have and maybe other people are just becoming wise to it, but it's something that I'm very excited about.

"He's not young, he's going to turn 40 on May 2, but we want the world titles. We want the title opportunities because now we can make that commercially successful in China, which was really hard to do before.

"Our partners there are trying some things and, frankly, they worked last night. We'll sit down with Queensberry [Fury's UK promoters] and see what they want to do."

Joe Joyce
Image: Joe Joyce's eye was badly hurt as his fight with Zhilei Zhang was stopped in the sixth round

'Disappointed' Joyce: I'll be back

A crestfallen Joyce told BT Sport after his defeat on Saturday night: "I'm just disappointed with my performance.

"I think the [left] hand he kept hitting me with, I couldn't get out of the way.

"Respect to Zhilei Zhang, it was a good fight but I think I could have done better, I think because I haven't fought a southpaw for so long.

"Credit to him because he was a good fighter, and I gave it my all. I think I could do better but it's just disappointing.

"I'd like to apologise to all of my fans and supporters. But I also want to thank you for coming down here, I'll be back, my journey's not over, this is just a hurdle I may have tripped over, so I'll be back."

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